Plaintiffs' lawyers who negotiated a $2.8 billion antitrust settlement against Blue Cross Blue Shield have withdrawn their attempt to prevent a Washington, D.C., law firm from advising hospitals to reject the deal and pursue independent lawsuits against the company. This development coincides with ongoing tensions within the plaintiffs' bar, particularly highlighted during the Johnson & Johnson (J&J) talc bankruptcy hearings in Texas. Testimonies revealed significant disagreements between two lawyers representing the same group of 12,000 clients, reflecting deeper fractures within the plaintiffs' legal community. Additionally, J&J's talc liability unit is seeking to hire Kirkland & Ellis as special litigation counsel, which would replace Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom, amidst a proposed $10 billion bankruptcy plan aimed at resolving mass litigation related to its talc products.